A real-world, multi-site, observational study of infusion time and treatment satisfaction with rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with intravenous golimumab or infliximab

Abstract

Objectives: To assess real-world infusion times for golimumab (GLM-IV) and infliximab (IFX) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and factors associated with treatment satisfaction.

Methods: An observational study assessed infusion time including: clinic visit duration, RA medication preparation and infusion time, and infusion process time. Satisfaction was assessed by a modified Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (patient) and study-specific questionnaires (patient and clinic personnel). Comparative statistical testing for patient data utilized analysis of variance for continuous measures, and Fisher’s exact or Chi-square test for categorical measures. Multivariate analysis was performed for the primary time endpoints and patient satisfaction.

Results: One hundred and fifty patients were enrolled from six US sites (72 GLM-IV, 78 IFX). The majority of patients were female (80.0%) and Caucasian (88.7%). GLM-IV required fewer vials per infusion (3.7) compared to IFX (4.9; p = .0001). Clinic visit duration (minutes) was shorter for GLM-IV (65.1) compared to IFX (153.1; p < .0001), as was total infusion time for RA medication (32.8 GLM-IV, 119.5 IFX; p < .0001) and infusion process times (45.8 GLM-IV, 134.1 IFX; p < .0001). Patients treated with GLM-IV reported higher satisfaction ratings with infusion time (p < .0001) and total visit time (p = .0003). Clinic personnel reported higher satisfaction with GLM-IV than IFX specific to medication preparation time, ease of mixing RA medication, frequency of patients requiring pre-medication, and infusion time.

Limitations: Findings may not be representative of care delivery for all RA infusion practices or RA patients.

Conclusions: Shorter overall clinic visit duration, infusion process, and RA medication infusion times were observed for GLM-IV compared to IFX. A shorter duration in infusion time was associated with higher patient and clinic personnel satisfaction ratings.

Keywords:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• observational
• golimumab
• infliximab
• infusion time
• treatment satisfaction

JEL Classification Codes:

• I10
• I19

Transparency

Declaration of funding

Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC sponsored the study, and Covance Market Access Services, Inc. received funding for the research and manuscript development.

Declaration of financial relationships

SRD and CL are employees of Covance Market Access Services, Inc. JDM was an employee of Covance Market Access Services, Inc. at the time of study conduct and development of the first manuscript draft. CP is an employee of The Resource Group. MZ is an employee of Janssen Biotechnology, Inc. LE is an employee of Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. MZ and LE are stockholders in Johnson and Johnson. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have received an honorarium from JME for their review work, but have no other relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors take full responsibility for the content of, and the decision to submit, this manuscript, but thank Teresa Oblak, PhD, CMPP, of Covance Market Access Services, Inc., for providing research and editorial support.

Previous presentations

Data for this study were presented in part at the annual meeting of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, May 20–24, 2017, in Boston, MA.